What I Need Help With: A Guide for Those Who Have Requested Info on Aiding Me on My Healing Journey

Asking for help. Doesn't it just make your skin crawl? I'm a superhero dammit! I was even given a Wonder Woman award at work for being such a power house and leader. The past seven years, until recently, I have taken myself to every cancer related appointment. I picked out my protocols, I told my parents the cliff notes version of what was going on to protect them from the doctors often harsh words, and I worked full time, sometimes more than 40 hours a week running my father's company. Then a few years ago I had serious fatigue issues. I couldn't make it to my appointment on my own so my parents took me. My organs were failing, and I had days, maybe weeks to live. Oops. Guess I should have slowed down a bit eh? I had a choice to make; let the cancer take me, or live, and allow others to aid me. I chose to live.  I became part-time at work, I slowed down a bit, I allowed my folks to attend some of my appointments and I healed. Over time as I felt better my do-it-yourself gene kicked in (really, it never went away) and what do you know, I got deathly ill again. This time, I don't think I have the option to fiddle around. It's heal or die  To my surprise, the community stepped up, without me saying a word. Suddenly, I had a Chip-In account, which as of today has over $800 in it. I had someone loan me a juicer, a Vibe machine; people I've never met have brought me food and volunteered to walk Triton and so much more. I've had to acknowledge that I simply cannot do it all on my own. Even with my parents help, it's been taking a toll on them as well. My Mom is clearly getting overwhelmed, and my Dad is on vacation right now to help him get it back together. We all need help. One of the community members suggested that I post a list, updating it frequently, of what I need. It seems many people would like to help, they just don't know how. So I'm adding a module to my blog, just under the Shanna Sandmoen's Healing Fund Chip-In link on the right hand side, that will be updated regularly with my needs. And friends, I am humbling myself to ask for help. I am incredibly grateful and moved by everything that has been done so far, and I KNOW that this time, I'm going all the way and I'm not stopping until I'm completely healed. And when that happens (which is a goal on my 31 Things Before I Turn 31), I am going to throw a huge bash, and you are all invited. Thank you for your support, and located below is my initial list and some links to previous posts regarding my cancer journey for those of you that are new to my situation.

What I Need Help With/Things I Need

1. Pre-made Meals. I can always used pre-made meals. Whether it's your own delightful home cooking, something from Whole Foods, Nature's Pantry, Conveniently Natural, etc. it helps a lot to know I always have something on hand and most things can be frozen if I get an overload. Note: I am allergic to fennel, tumeric and simply detest mushrooms. Otherwise, as long as it's vegetarian, I'll probably like it. 
2. Dog Walking. I have a 140lbs great dane/newfound named Triton who loves to go for walks, run around the backyard, and have his belly rubbed. If you are a strong brave soul, he would love to hang with you. 
3. Laundry: I have a laundry room in the basement. Sadly, I no longer have the strength to carry the basket up and down the stairs. I usually always have things to wash, as I have to wear my giant clothes right now because of the fluid issue. 
4. Light Housework: My Mom does what she can, as does my Dad, but Triton sheds a lot, so dog hair piles up quickly, dishes need to be loaded/unloaded frequently, and of course there is the bathroom. 
5. Juicing and Smoothies: I'm just learning to juice, and I do green smoothies. Some days I don't have the strength to make them. I'm always open to help juicing and creating delicious smoothies. 
6. Rides to Appointments: I have healing appointments in Lee's Summit 3-4 times a week. My Mom has been driving back and forth to take me to appointments and it's taking a toll emotionally and on her gas mileage. Any help, even just one direction or the other would be greatly appreciated.
7. Mow Lawn: My lawn hasn't been mowed....well I'm not sure when, early summer. I don't own a lawnmower, but if anyone is up for it, Triton probably would appreciate it. 
8. Afternoon Social Outings: Ok, so this is not really help, but it can get incredibly boring being stuck at home all the time, and as I'm limited to my driving/walking right now, I would LOVE to occasionally get out in the afternoons and go to a local coffee shop for an hour or so and just have some good conversation. One More Cup, Mud Pie and Coffee Girls are all great places that offer local, organic and vegetarian/vegan options. Entertain me please :) 
9. Dog Food:  Triton needs a 50lb of organic dog food, they sell brands at Petsmart, Petco, and even some grocery stores. I can reimburse or provide money upfront, I simply don't have the strength to get and carry the bag in and out of the store and pour it into his bin.
10. Raw Cacao Powder: I'm almost out, and I use it to flavor my rather disgusting daily mineral lifesaving powder I drink. This is one item that I can't get at any place near me, so I'm afraid I might run out before I get a chance to get to Whole Foods. If anyone is going to the store this week, I'll reimburse you the cost if you pick me up a bag and drop it off.

And of course, any donations to Shanna Sandmoen's Healing Fund are very welcome.

Those are immediate needs, as I said I will put up a sidebar and update. Other things that come up would be going to the grocery store, I can sometimes walk the store, but I can't carry bags. Triton needs food every 4 weeks or so, I almost always need Kleenex, obviously certain toiletries, and whatever random things that might come up. Again, GRATEFUL. You are all beautiful, thank you.

Love and Gratitude,

Shanna

P.S. Here are some links to my cancer journey

• My Cancer Journey
• Cancer Update
• My Cancer Protocols Explained
• My Trip to the Hospital or Adventures of the Fluid Monster
• The Fluid Monster Returns to the Hospital

My Cancer Journey

Seven years ago this summer a lump in my neck turned out to be Hodgkin Lymphoma, a cancer that affects the lymphatic system. I like to joke to people that on Monday of that week, I received a promotion at work making me the General Manger of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. On Thursday I signed the papers for my first home, and on Friday, I was diagnosed with cancer. It's not really funny, but amazing to me that so many life changing situations happened literally at once.

When I found out my diagnosis, I was relieved. I had been suffering from severe depression, to the point of suicide and had prayed that something would happen to take me from this world. I felt like I got my wish. A few weeks after my initial diagnosis, I had an appointment with an oncologist, who discovered the cancer had spread to both sides of my neck and down through my chest. This is highly unusual, and at the time I believed it happened because I wanted to die. Why I still think that may have been a part of it, I've recently learned a bit more about cancer and it's possible the biopsy they did actually cause the cancer to spread. You can read more about this in my previous post, What Your Oncologist Never Told You About Cancer.

My parents were of course extremely concerned; my Dad's reaction to the news is the reason I initially decided to live instead of letting it take me. I told my doctor I would not be going through chemo or radiation and she told me I wouldn't make it to the holidays. Seven years ago. Never allow the doctors to scare you with a death deadline, you create your own destiny.

Once making the decision to heal holistically, I checked out every book, blog, dvd, etc. that related to healing cancer. I believe that any disease, is an imbalance in the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. Most western medicines only focus on the physical, and most of the time the symptoms rather than the actual cause. I started out by changing my diet, going on a strict vegan raw food diet for the first year. I lost over 100lbs, and completely stopped the spread of cancer. I also did some emotional healing. Check out my post on Healing With Energy Psychology for more info on this.

After a couple of years, things remained stable, and I got frustrated. I fell off the wagon, started eating junk again, ignored the emotional work, hadn't even acknowledged the spiritual work, and dove into work. I worked a lot of hours and had the weight of the world on my shoulders. In the Spring of 2009, I started having a lot of fatigue issues. I went in for my tests, and the cancer had spread like wildfire. I had cancer in my lungs, under my arms, kidney, etc. Everything on my blood tests was off the charts bad, my organs had started to shutdown, and this time my Naturopath, who normally is very supportive, told me there was nothing more to be done and to put my affairs in order, it would only be a matter of weeks. I realized at this point I couldn't jack around anymore. I had to make a choice: live or die, and that choice had to be mine. I couldn't do it for my Dad or anyone else, it had to be for me. I took a couple weeks off of work, ate lots of veggies, spent a lot of time in bed, because by this time I could barely move, and decided that I really hadn't given life a proper chance. So I made my choice.

Two years later and obviously I chose to live. This time, instead of focusing mostly on the physical and half-hearted with the emotional, I have undergone entire lifestyle changes. Physically I got back into a healthy diet, focusing on Green Smoothies. I incorporated Superfoods into my diet, reversing many of the poor results on my blood tests. Triton, my furry 142lbs newfoundland/great dane mix got my booty shaking with daily walks. I also bounce on a rebounder, and started getting into yoga. I detox my body daily by skin brushing, make regular colonics appointments, etc. I got certified in Reiki, an energy healing tool, and receive other energy healing from my Mom. You can read about how one of the tumors in my neck shrank in under 15 minutes with several witnesses in my post Healing With Tuning Fork Sound Therapy.

Emotionally, I started doing mirror exercises, reading Louise Hay, using EFT (emotional freedom technique) to release the emotional causes of my cancer, forgiveness exercises and much more. Spiritually I recognized my connection with the Universe, meditate daily, and next week will embark on a Spiritual journey as I fly to Oregon for a Vipssanna Meditation retreat.

So how am I doing? Tumors in my armpits are breaking into pieces. The primary tumor in my neck split into two, and once piece is shrinking, while the other is slowly pushing itself out of my body. Whoa! My energy levels are up, I am still anemic, but I did go up a point on my latest blood test. I'm healing, and with a little more work and a lot of faith, I plan on ending 2011 completely healthy and free of cancer, eczema, anemia and hormone imbalances.

The things mentioned are just a few of the healing tools I have used, but the ones I found most effective. Once I return from Oregon, I will get updated tests, and I intend to kickstart a new healing program. More on this later.

What do you do to stay healthy? Have you ever faced a major disease? How did you handle it?

Love and Gratitude Friday's: Triton's 3rd Birthday!!

"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection."
 - Buddha, was a spiritual teacher from ancient India who founded Buddhism.
 
"Love is the capacity to take care, to protect, to nourish. If you are not capable of generating that kind of energy toward yourself- if you are not capable of taking care of yourself, of nourishing yourself, of protecting yourself- it is very difficult to take care of another person. In the Buddhist teaching, it's clear that to love oneself is the foundation of the love of other people. Love is a practice. Love is truly a practice."
 - Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk, author and peace activist.

I am so grateful to have spent nearly three wonderful years with the most wonderful creature alive, my precious dog Triton.  Even though he never cleans the house, creates vast lakes of water and slime in the kitchen, farts up a storm, steals the food off my plate and always hides the garage door opener when I leave him in the car, he's the best friend a  girl could ask for. I am so grateful to Wayside for their amazing program, to the Universe for leading me to him, and every moment we've shared.  I am grateful to my Mom for all the dog sitting, my Dad for all the dog walking, and everyone else who has participated in his care.  I love cuddling with him on the couch, taking him for walks (except during squirrel season!), and going on car rides.  He is the best thing that's ever happened to me, my constant, my angel and friend.  I love you Triton and am grateful to share this life experience with you! Happy Birthday!!

Love and Gratitude Friday's

I am grateful for:

All the healing that has been done on my tumors recently, thank you Mom and Linda

Having a roof over my head, a working furnace, and cozy water bed

Triton, even if he is a trash eater, he sure know how to cuddle

My new skill set, being a Reiki III practitioner

All of my lovely new friends :)

I love cuddling on the sofa with Triton ♥ turning leftovers into a brand new dish ♥ 70 degree weather in November ♥ listening to the new Marina and the Diamonds cd ♥ shrinking tumors ♥ realizing I have more talent and knowledge to offer than I thought possible ♥ sleeping until noon ♥ my chocolate chip treasure hunt cookies, with chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts, yummy ♥ reading on my back patio ♥ having dinner with a new friend ♥ freshly shaved legs ♥ receiving unexpected letters in the mail ♥ reading revamped fairy tales ala Mercedes Lackey ♥ walking around barefoot ♥ reading a Course in Miracles ♥ two brand new radio stations in town 103.7 and 99.7, providing more variety in flipping channels ♥ Belgian waffles ♥ relaxing in a lovely detox bath, filled with Epsom salts, baking soda and lavender ♥Love and Gratitude,

































Shanna ♥

Love and Gratitude Friday's: YOU!!

I am grateful for all the wonderful people who have supported my blog project, my followers, commenter's, my Mom, the lovely and wonderful Laura L who is currently working on upgrading my design and everyone who has approached me with their positive thoughts

 Also a good read? Shanna's latest blog post. Our friend is an excellent inspirational writer! Who knew? ;)
 In that note, I would like to share that Shanna, I am so proud and happy that a little over 5 years ago, you chose LIFE over what most would consider a death certainty. You have really re-imagined yourself and are a true inspiration. Keep up the amazing work. You have chosen to use your cancer as a gift, to realise how precious life is and to share your knowledge with others. I love you!!!



I am also grateful to Shirley Twofeathers for creating such a wonderful Reiki experience, and hosting monthly workshops. She's truly an inspiration.  I am grateful for Linda Bradbury being such a gracious host for the classes, and all her wonderful insight.

I am grateful to Gala Darling, for her wonderfully inspiring posts each day, and the gorgeously written Love and Sequins, which I'm just delving into. Such a lovely blogger!

Things I Love

funky tights ♥ doggie snoring ♥ tooth soap ♥ new lipstick ♥ Cold War Kids ♥ dreaming Twitter ♥ flirting ♥ new book Glimmerglass gorgeous coverart ♥ lilies ♥ Her Future ♥ clean floors ♥ discovering new blogs ♥ How I Met Your Mother ♥ jumping on acorns and hearing that crunch ♥ namaste yoga ♥ creating love lists ♥ new experiences ♥ walking to work ♥ fall sweaters ♥ peep toe heels ♥ La Roux CD ♥ watching Buffy Halloween episodes ♥ pumpkin carving ♥ chai tea ♥ Indian leftovers ♥ creating my Vision Book ♥ secretly blessing strangers ♥ The Daily Love ♥ Mary Magdelene ♥mascara ♥Eden's Alley ♥ rose petals ♥ basking in the sunshine ♥

Love and Gratitude,

 Shanna ♥

Love and Gratitude Friday's: It's Officially Fall!

I am Grateful for the beautiful fall tree foliage, puppy kisses, new friendships, reconnecting with old friends, skinny jeans, going barefoot, reiki circles, inter-library loans, free photo session with a professional photographer for Triton, my lovely new fall pictures, texting, making 44 cents on Squidoo, the perfect weather for warm cup of tea, my Dad

Things I Love....



I love the blog Yes and Yes, fantastic fun! ♥
Check out these super fun dog-o-lanterns! ♥
A day in the life of Bruno, an adorable bull dog pup ♥
If you are a writer, follow @elizabethscraig on Twitter, she posts some great tips ♥
The anticipation of a new Nellie McKay CD, love her! ♥
Looking for a new Halloween Movie to add to your collection? Hallmark is premiering The Big One featuring Shannon Doherty October 23rd ♥
This gal teaches you how and why to go Barefoot everywhere! ♥

What are your Grateful for? What's on Your Love List? Post your thoughts here!

Loving Tuesday's: Health and Beauty

I love my new Desert Essence Organics Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner, Burt's Bee's facial scrub, goji berries, fresh purple basil from the farmer's market, bouncing on my rebounder, walking down the Trolley Trail with Triton, picking out delicious sounding yogurts for Mom (even though I wouldn't eat them myself), reading Shazzie's Detox Your World, my dry skin brush, Silk's new Dark Chocolate Almond Milk, cozy black sandals, ballerina slippers, going out without makeup, curling my hair, colonics, deep restorative sleep, raw "southern greens" (yummy kale and collards with cayenne and garlic), RAW CACAO, green smoothies, meditation, dancing to Grace Potter and the Nocturals, local natural soap company Zum, Bad Seed Farmer's market, Tooth Soap, exfoliating with my foot scrubber, aloe vera, walking in the park, smelling the fresh Irises I just put in a vase, raw veggies, strawberries, the zapper, painting my nails in wild colors, laughter

Love List

Crazy Sexy Cancer survivor Kris Carr recently started a fabulous trend at her blog CrazySexyLife, the Love List. Love Lists are just an acknowledgement of things we adore.  You can put a list together anytime, keep adding to the one you've got, shout out a new love daily, whatever rocks your boat.  It's a sweet reminder of the beautiful loving world we live in. Check out Kris' lists (which she will be posting every Wednesday) here:
Love List: Chandeliers & Airstreams
Love List: Flea Markets & Snapshots

You can also check out Gala Darling's version Things I Love Thursday and follow the conversation on Twitter #lovelist. 

Here's my Love List for this lovely Tuesday in August

Triton
I LOVE spending time with my wonderful puppy dog, going to the park, walking down the Trolley Trail, watching him play with his artichoke, car rides where both his head AND tail hang out the window, random people taking pictures of him on the plaza, the busboy at Eden's Alley asking about him every time I go in, taking him to eat on the patio at restaurants, chasing squirrels, giving him baths, swimming at the dog park, cuddling on the sofa, he's my number one :)







 Superfoods smoothies, shiny clean house, blogging, werewolves, musicals, meditation, raw cacao, meeting lovely new lady friends, Doreen Virtue, the rose garden at Loose Park, Ben&Jerry's Smores, coconut oil, zinc, Twitter, Reiki, being an ~ing girl, rebounder, affirmations, gratitude, forgiveness, teddy bears, LOVE LISTS, meetup.com, Her Future




LOVE THIS SONG!!

Squidoo, Warehouse 13, Eureka, Kris Carr, snail mail, meeting my Spirit Guides, Thai food, Laura Bell Bundy, Pandora, mini-golf, pecans, journaling, dancing it out, running barefoot in the grass, smiling, laughing, Naughty Monkey shoes, dolphins, ocean sounds

Jane Austen spinoff books Mr. Darcy's Daughters
This oil spill benefit zazzle store Art for Oil Spill
Gabrielle Bernstein Videos Gabrielle Bernstein on Vimeo
This beautiful gal's blog My Hip Guide to Happiness

The Magical, Mystical Unicorn

HUGS!!!

What's on your Love List?